Comments for Time of Death

they can also tell by Carbon dating.in body tissue, they decrease in so many hours or days till the tissue is gone. they you will have to do tests on the bones.

Jan 15, 2009Rating

Time of Deathby: Glenn Wilcher Forensic Technician

This is a very large topic. Just brief note.

Forensic Entomology plays a role in assisting determining time of death. A good show about it and other estimations for determining approximate time of death was a show made in Britain called Animal Detectives.

The life cycle of maggots assists with their various sequential stages of development into flies depending on species and ambient factors such as temperature, location etc etc. post mortem changes such lividity and rigor mortis are inexact methods. Stomach contents and presence of undigested food partially digested food.

Other areas published include use of biochemical test, deterioration in eye post mortem. Most accurate is combining all the evidence including trace evidence.

Something simple such as information on dockets, last collected mail and newspapers, the deceased usual behaviours specific to movement can be more accurate than an autopsy.

Skeletal remains in bush with plants growing or shrubs the growth rings of plants can assist how long person been there...Forensic Botany. Body temperature cooling - environmental factors and average loss in degrees per hour, temperature being taken rectally or core via liver temperature.

Just a couple of things for you to follow up on researching the topic.